We're Home
by OverlyObsessed223
Summary: When Ponyboy left Tulsa, he never planned on going back. Ponyboy was quite content to raise his family far away, in Missouri. However, when things take a turn for the worst back at home, Ponyboy and Laura decide to go home for the summer- bringing with them their two-year-old son. However, the gang doesn't want them to go back. Can they show Ponyboy how great Tulsa is?
1. Decisions

"Ponyboy."

A twenty-five-year-old Ponyboy Curtis looked up from his newspaper to see his pregnant wife standing in the doorway, her arms crossed above her belly. Ponyboy gave her a slight smile, putting the paper down.

"Hmm?" Ponyboy raised his eyebrows. Laura sighed, taking a seat next to him. She leaned against the kitchen table, her cheek resting on her hand.

"What's bothering you, love?" Laura questioned him.

Ponyboy looked down at the table, taking a moment to look at the letter that sat on their kitchen counter.

"Pony. Is this about Darry?" Laura frowned. She reached across the table and grabbed her husband's hand, rubbing circles with her thumb.

"Yeah…" Ponyboy said sadly, squeezing Laura's hand.

"He's gonna be okay. He'll get through it, babe," Laura tried to comfort him. She knew her words didn't help. Nobody knew whether everything would turn out okay.

"I hope so…" Ponyboy forced a small smile, his eyes glued to the piece of paper on the counter.

"I just…" Ponyboy trailed off, running a hand through his hair. "I just wish I was… I don't know. Around more, I guess."

Laura nodded her head, also deeply affected by the turn of events. When her parents were gone at work and didn't have any time for her, Darry had been the one insisting that she stay for dinner. He truly cared for her, and the thought of what he was going through made her feel like she had been shot in the gut.

"Fuck, Laura... " Ponyboy lowered his head, rubbing his eyes. "Nobody down there knows about Cole. Darry and Soda… they have a beautiful nephew and they don't even know it!"

"My parents as well…" Laura added guiltily. "Ponyboy, you can't feel that bad. You had your reasons for wanting Cole to grow up out of Tulsa."

Ponyboy nodded, remembering his son. Pony and Laura had decided that after they were married, they would get out of that god-awful town as soon as possible. Soon enough, Ponyboy published his first book and it was very successful. Just after he saw that Johnny had a job and was safe, Ponyboy moved down to Springfield, Missouri, a small town that was a safe place to raise children.

"Cole would love Sodapop…" Ponyboy thought out loud, imagining his older brother playing hide-and-go-seek with the two-year-old.

"Let's go," Laura said suddenly, sitting up straight. "Let's spend the summer in Tulsa. For Darry, Ponyboy."

As much as he dreaded stepping foot into that town with his young son and pregnant wife, Ponyboy knew he had to go see Darry. He might never see his older brother again, and he would carry the guilt for the rest of his life.

"Alright. We'll leave Sunday," Ponyboy confirmed.

Laura smiled. "Great. Now, come to bed, Ponyboy. Tomorrow's Saturday, which means it's your turn to wake up with Cole."

Pony smiled as Laura stood up, standing up with her. The couple got into their shared bed, Laura on the left and Pony on the right. Pony wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to him. Laura curled up into him with a content smile.

Ponyboy remembered the first day he met Laura. It was a long time ago, but Ponyboy remembered it as if it was yesterday.

 _Mr. Curtis had taken his boys and Steve down to the park near their house, tossing a football to a then fifteen-year-old Darry. Steve and Sodapop, who were eleven, played on the playset, while a_ nine-year-old _Ponyboy looked for something to do._

 _Ponyboy was about to give up and join his eldest brother and father when he spotted a girl around his age, kicking up dirt with her feet._

 _"Hi!" The girl smiled brightly as Pony, making Pony want to smile back. "Wanna play?"_

 _"Um… sure!" Ponyboy grinned._

 _"Let's do the… swings!" The girl suggested after thinking._

 _Ponyboy followed the girl to the swing set, her blonde hair whipping in the wind. Her blue eyes shone as she flew higher and higher on the swing._

 _"What's your name?" The girl asked, still in the air._

 _"Ponyboy," Pony answered, starting to gain speed._

 _"Really? That's so cool! Mine is just boring old Laura," Laura sighed, looking fascinated by Pony's name._

 _"How old are you?" Ponyboy asked._

 _"Eight," Laura responded._

 _"Cool, I'm nine!" Ponyboy told her proudly._

 _Soon, it was starting to get dark, and Mr. Curtis started rounding the boys up so they could get home in time for dinner. Shaking his head and Steve and Soda, who were each covered head to toe in dirt, he called for Ponyboy._

 _"Hey, we should play together at recess!" Laura suggested._

 _Ponyboy nodded enthusiastically._

 _"Can't wait!" He said honestly._

Laura soon became Ponyboy's best friend, coming over to his house all the time to play, and later study. Granted, they hardly got any studying done, but they tried. As they got older, they met other people, including Dallas, Johnny, and Two-Bit. However, they never strayed apart from each other, eventually coming to date in high school and go to prom together.

Laura became a part of the gang and was devastated with Ponyboy's parents died. She sobbed into her pillow the night Ponyboy ran away, fearing he might never come back. She was relieved when Ponyboy and Johnny came back with Dallas with only minor injuries. Laura went with Ponyboy all the time to the movies, sharing his love for the arts. She read everything he wrote and helped make it better.

When Laura graduated high school, Ponyboy was quick to propose to her, wanting to spend the rest of his life with his best friend. They moved away that year so Ponyboy could go to college in Missouri.

They told everyone they would visit often, and call and write. However, the amount of letter's Ponyboy sent started going down, as he was stressed with college. When Laura told him she was pregnant, that was when he stopped writing for good.

Ponyboy hadn't heard from anyone for years until Sodapop wrote him today, telling him that Darry was sick and in the hospital.

Ponyboy closed his eyes, nervous for Sunday.

True to his word, Ponyboy got up at eight a.m. Saturday morning when he heard Cole babbling to himself in his crib. With one last glance at his sleeping wife, Ponyboy closed their bedroom door and walked down the hall where Cole's nursery was.

Cole was a spitting image of Ponyboy, with his reddish-brown hair and green eyes. Cole's hair swept across his forehead, flat on his head.

"Dada!" Cole cheered when his father walked into the room. Cole pulled himself up against the rail, his stuffed tiger in his grip.

"Hey, little man!" Ponyboy smiled. Cole stretched his arms up towards Ponyboy, and Pony lifted him out of his crib. After a quick diaper change, Ponyboy carried Cole out into the living room and turned the TV on. Cole loved Mickey Mouse, reminding Ponyboy of a certain Two-Bit Matthews. Pony fixed Cole a small bowl of Cheerios and fixing a bigger bowl for himself. He let Cole eat on the coffee table, a privilege Cole was only given when Laura was still asleep. Ponyboy shoveled the cereal into his mouth, laughing when Cole would cheer for the TV.

Soon, Laura came out, and while she gave Ponyboy a look for letting Cole eat in the living room, she let it slide when Cole toddled up to her with a grin and yelling her name.

Ponyboy was content to spend the last day with just his family.


	2. Grandma's House

**Hello! This chapter is a bit shorter, but it was where I wanted to leave off. Chapters will very, and the next one will probably be longer.**

 **I've been wanting to do this type of story for a while, and I'm excited to get it down on paper. I spent a weekend with a two-year-old, so I'm trying to get Cole's behaviors age appropriate.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **(By the way, I didn't do a disclaimer last chapter. They seem kind of silly to me because this is a _fanfiction_ website, but whatever. I don't own the Outsiders, only Laura, and Cole. And Cole's awesome grandma, who you're about to meet.)**

Sunday came sooner than both Laura and Ponyboy would have liked, and soon Ponyboy was packing suitcases into the trunk while Laura got Cole ready for the trip. Laura carried Cole out to the car and strapped him into his car seat, relieved Cole was in a good mood. Like his father, Cole was a morning person.

Ponyboy and Laura got into the front seat, and they were off.

"Do you know where we're staying?" Ponyboy asked Laura.

"I called my mom yesterday," Laura said, " She said she's fine if we stay with her."

"You know Soda's going to want us to stay with him, right?" Ponyboy raised his eyebrows.

"I know…" Laura sighed. "But with Darry in the hospital, the last thing Soda needs is houseguests."

Ponyboy nodded his head in agreement.

Two hours later, the young family passed the "Welcome to Tulsa" sign. Ponyboy took a deep breath, navigating himself through their childhood town. Cole was asleep, making Laura worried because he would never take his nap.

Soon, with a little help from Laura, Ponyboy pulled up onto the street where Laura's mother lived. It was a nice, middle-class house, and could easily fit their family.

Laura's mother, Ruth Winslow, was watering her front lawn when Ponyboy pulled the car into her driveway. Ruth put down the watering can, waiting for Laura to get out of the car. When she did, Ruth embraced her daughter with tears in her eyes.

"I'm so happy to see you!" Ruth cried. Ponyboy approached Ruth with Cole in his arms. "Ponyboy!"

Ruth hugged Ponyboy too, rubbing his back. Then she took a step back to look at Cole.

"Oh my goodness!" Ruth gasped, tears falling. "He's beautiful, Laura."

"Would you want to hold him?" Ponyboy offered. Ruth nodded, taking her only grandchild into her arms.

"Hello, sweetheart!" Ruth smiled at Cole, who was looking at Ponyboy with an expression that read, _who the heck is this lady?_ "I'm your grandmother!"

"Grandma!" Cole repeated, a smile spreading across his face.

"He's precious!" Ruth smiled. "Come, you two! Come inside."

"Laura, you go in, I'll get the bags," Ponyboy offered.

Ruth ushered Laura inside her house, Cole still in her arms. Ponyboy opened his trunk and got out the suitcases. He took in the hot sun of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and knew he was home.

Later that night, Ponyboy, sat down with Laura and Ruth for dinner. Luckily, Ruth had saved all of her baby stuff and had a highchair prepared when the family came down for dinner.

"So, my dears," Ruth started, putting down her fork. "I'm so glad you're here, but what is the reason you decided to visit?"

Laura's face fell and focused on feeding Cole his dinner.

"My brother is sick," Ponyboy answered. "We decided to come down and see him."

Ruth frowned. "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. I only met him a few times -the most recent time was your wedding- and he seems like a wonderful man."

"He is," Laura smiled sadly.

"I know how much you loved those boys, Laura," Ruth went on, "They were so kind to you as well. I was so happy that you had them looking out for you."

"Ms. Winslow, thank you so much for letting us stay here," Ponyboy smiled.

Ruth rolled her eyes, gently slapping his biceps.

"Ponyboy, how many times have I told you: call me Ruth," Ruth gently scolded. "And you're always welcome down here. Well, only if you bring my adorable grandchildren along!"

Everyone laughed at that.

"So, you two, tell me about the new baby!" Ruth begged.

"Well…" Laura looked at Ponyboy with a smile. Ponyboy shrugged. "We're having twins, and-"

Ruth gasped. " _Twins?"_

Laura giggled. "Yes, mother, twins. They're both girls."

Ruth beamed. "That is amazing, congratulations! My, Cole will have his hands full, trying to keep boys away from _two_ sisters."

"He doesn't really understand what it all means, but Cole will like having kids to play with," Ponyboy commented.

"What will the names be?" Ruth eagerly asked.

"We haven't decided," Laura admitted. "We're still working things out."

Ruth laughed. "Well, I want to be the first to know, you two hear me?"  
"Yes ma'am," Ponyboy chuckled.

Laura was putting Cole to bed, leaving Ponyboy with Ruth in the living room.

"Ponyboy," Ruth called quietly.

"Hm?" Ponyboy looked at his mother-in-law.

"You know, when I first heard that Laura was dating you, I was skeptical," Ruth admitted. "I knew who you were, of course, but I was afraid you would turn into a hood. Well, Ponyboy Curtis, thank you for proving me wrong. My daugher truly loves you, and I couldn't ask for a better son-in-law."

Ponyboy went beet red. "Thank you, Mrs. Win- Ruth."

"You're a great father," Ruth went on. "I'm proud of both of you."

Laura came back out a minute later, curling up into Ponyboy on the couch. They talked late into the night, telling Ruth about their lives and more specifically the babies. Seriously, Pony was beginning to think Ruth was more excited than he and Laura were. Which was saying something, as Ponyboy and Laura eagerly awaited the day they could meet their daughters.

That night, as Ponyboy and Laura were laying in bed, Ponyboy voiced those thoughts, making Laura laugh. The couple slowly fell asleep in each other's arms, nervously waiting for tomorrow to come.

The day they saw Ponyboy's family.


	3. Nothing Has Changed

**Disclaimer, I don't own the Outsiders, yadayadayada, nobody reads this anyways.**

The next morning, Ponyboy woke up to Laura staring at him sleepily.

"Morning," Ponyboy smiled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Hey," Laura whispered back.

The two got out of bed and took showers. While Laura dried her hair and put her make-up on, Ponyboy went out into the living room to see Cole playing with some toys. He found Ruth in the kitchen, making brownies.

"Hello, dear," Ruth greeted him. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did, thanks," Ponyboy smiled. He then went out to where Cole was.

"C'mon, buddy, we gave to get ready to meet your uncles," Ponyboy explained. He picked Cole up, who started to fuss. "I know, little man, but if your mother is ready before us, she'll never forget it."

Ten minutes later, Ponyboy had wrestled Cole into a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes. Ponyboy then styled Cole's hair, sweeping his bangs to the side.

Laura came out in a skirt and sandals, her hair gently curled.

"Mommy!" Cole reached up for his mother to carry him. Laura picked him up, Ponyboy keeping an eye on her to make sure it wasn't too much to carry.

Ruth stood on her porch, waving goodbye as Ponyboy backed out of the driveway. Ponyboy made his way through town, everything familiar.

"Pony, they might be at the hospital," Laura warned. Ponyboy shook his head.

"Darry won't let them sit around all day," Ponyboy said, his eyes trained on the road. "I promise."

Ponyboy pulled up onto the familiar road, slowly cruising towards his old house. The old truck was still there, letting them know Soda was home.

Ponyboy stopped in front of the house, parking at the curb. He took a deep breath.

"Hey," Laura quietly said, taking his hand and squeezing it. "It's going to be okay."

With one last nod, Ponyboy got out of the car and took Cole from his car seat. Cole was babbling, something about 'grandma' and 'ice cream'.

"My mother is going to spoil him rotten," Laura sighed.

"She only has one grandchild to dote on," Ponyboy chuckled as he made his way towards the door.

"Not for long," Laura laughed, rubbing her stomach. "Soon, he'll have to share."

"Enjoy it while it lasts," Ponyboy teased Cole, who didn't know what was going on. "Do you want to knock, buddy?"

Cole nodded, and Ponyboy leaned forward to let Cole bang his fist on the door. Ponyboy heard some yelling from inside the house, and soon, Sodapop answered the door.

When Soda saw Ponyboy, his jaw dropped to the ground, his eyes going wide. He was even more shocked when he saw Cole and Laura's belly.

"Ponyboy…" Soda choked on a sob, embracing his brother tightly. Ponyboy hugged Soda back, happy to be back in his arms. "We… we thought you'd never come back!"

"Well, we did," Ponyboy smiled.

"Oh my gosh…" Soda got a good look at Cole. "Darry's gonna… scratch that, everybody's going to be so happy!"

Soda wrapped Laura up in a hug, looking down at her stomach. He was quiet.

"Boy, I've missed a lot, haven't I?" Soda said sadly, looking back at Ponyboy, who wore a guilty look on his face.

"You won't miss anything else," Ponyboy promised.

"Who's this?" Sodapop asked, pointing at Cole.

"This is our two-year-old son, Cole," Ponyboy announced proudly. He looked at Cole, who was confused. "Cole, this is Uncle Soda. Can you say hi to Uncle Soda?"

"Hi." Cole waved, pleased when Soda smile.

"Hey, buddy." Soda sniffed.

Soda opened the door again, beckoning for Pony and Laura to follow.

"Hey, Steve! Two-Bit! Look who's come to visit!" Soda shouted happily.

Ponyboy looked around the house, glad to see nothing had changed. It was still the same small, messy house as always.

Steve came out of the kitchen, his expression similar to Soda's. Two-Bit poked his head out, only for his eyes to pop out of his head.

"Ponyboy! Laura!" Two-Bit cheered. He jogged over to hug both of them. "Gosh, we missed you two a lot!"

"We missed you too," Laura smiled.

"Uncle Soda!" Cole giggled, pointing at Two-Bit.

"No, that's uncle Soda," Ponyboy corrected, pointing at Soda.

"I'm Uncle Two-Bit!" Two-Bit smiled at Cole.

"Uncle Two!" Cole pointed at Two-Bit, then sticking his fingers into his mouth.

Steve made his way over, nodding at Ponyboy.

"It's nice to see you," Steve said, giving Laura a half hug.

"I'm glad to see you haven't changed a bit, Steve," Laura smiled.

Steve grinned a little bit, looking over at Cole.

"What's your kid's name?" He asked.

"Cole," Ponyboy answered.

Steve nodded in understanding.

"Where are you guys staying?" Soda asked Ponyboy. "Because you're welcome to stay with us."

"We're staying with Laura's mother," Ponyboy answered.

"Alright, well if you wanna stay, just let me know," Soda said. "Stevie here and I have to go to work, but Two-Bit will be here."

"Sounds great," Ponyboy smiled.

"Daddy, down!" Cole cried, squirming in Pony's arms.

"Okay, okay," Pony laughed as he set Cole onto his feet.

"Hey, we might have some of our old toys somewhere," Soda said, putting his shirt on. "See if you can find them."

"Oh lord," Laura sighed as Cole started asking for toys. "He's going to be spoiled rotten between my mom and your brothers."

"As if we don't," Ponyboy snorted.

"Uncle Two, toys!" Cole pleaded with Two-Bit, grabbing his hand and jumping up and down.

"Alright, little man, let's see what we can find!" Two-Bit laughed as Cole dragged him away from Ponyboy and Laura.

"Hey, stick around," Soda ordered. "We'll catch up when I get back."

"Sounds like a plan," Laura nodded, waving at Soda as he walked out the door, Steve right behind him.

Once Steve and Soda were gone, Ponyboy sat on the edge of the couch. Laura walked around, looking at the photo's hanging on the wall.

"Everything's the same," Ponyboy commented.

Ponyboy wandered into his old room, taking in all of his old things. Laura followed him.

"Our first time was in that bed," Pony smirked while pointing at the bed.

Laura smacked his arm. "Ponyboy Michael Curtis!"

"Okay, okay, sorry!" Ponyboy laughed. He pulled her into him and kissed her forehead.

Two-Bit managed to find some of Soda's old race cars and sat him down in the living room so he could play. Ponyboy was glad his son was taking all of this in a good way. Then again, Cole had always been a very happy baby and almost never fussed.

"So, Two-Bit," Ponyboy started nervously, sitting on the couch while Two-Bit was on the floor. "How's Darry doing?"

Two-Bit's face fell, and he stood up, leaving Cole on the ground to play. Two-Bit sat down in the armchair, looking as if he was searching for the right words to use.

"Kid, not too well…" Two-Bit admitted. "They found a tumor in his pancreas."

Ponyboy looked away, his gaze falling on Cole. How nice must it be to be oblivious? Cole crawled along the floor, pushing the cars across the carpet. Cole didn't know he had an uncle dying of cancer. Cole didn't know that his parents had avoided everyone down here for years. All Cole knew was that in this moment, he was playing cars while Mommy and Daddy talked to the grown-ups. All Cole knew was that he wasn't anywhere near his home, and he was seeing new faces. All Cole knew was that Mommy would inevitably pick him up and make him take a nap. Ponyboy wondered how that felt, to be that young and innocent.

"They're doing the best they can," Two-Bit said softly.

Ponyboy nodded. "I'm sure they are."

Laura reached over and grabbed his hand.

"Do they think he'll make it?" Ponyboy asked Two-Bit, feeling like he was fourteen again and losing everything.

"I don't know, Pony. I just don't know." Two-Bit looked at the ground.

"Daddy!" Cole had put down the cars and was now grabbing at Ponyboy's leg. "Mickey!"

"You wanna watch Mickey?" Ponyboy raised his eyebrows, glancing at Laura, who shrugged.

"Mickey Mouse?" The smile on Two-Bit's face was back, and he leaned forward.

"Yeah!" Cole cheered.

"Let's do it!" Two-Bit grinned, turning the TV on. When the little black and white Mouse came on the screen Cole clapped his hands together. Two-Bit sat on the floor with the toddler, making Laura laugh as he was almost more into it than Cole.

"Uncle Two!" Cole giggled as he pointed at Two-Bit, looking at Laura.

"You're right, baby, that's Uncle Two-Bit!" Laura smiled.

Cole looked around before plopping himself right into Two-Bit's lap, his eyes trained on the screen. Two-Bit looked surprised, twisting around to look at Laura and Ponyboy.

"Look's like Cole's found a new buddy," Ponyboy commented with a smile.

Two-Bit still looked flattered but joined Cole in watching the screen. Ponyboy relaxed into the couch, his arm now around Laura's shoulder.

"So far, so good," Laura breathed, her eyes trained on Two-Bit and Cole.

Ponyboy nodded. "Let's hope it stays that way."

"I think it will," Laura predicted.

The couple relaxed on the couch, hoping the rest of the summer would be similar to this.

 **There we go! Chapter three! We've introduced Soda, Steve, and Two-Bit, and Cole seems to have taken a liking to Two-Bit.**

 **Since we don't know a lot about Laura's relationship with everyone else, there's going to be a bunch of flashbacks, leading up to when they leave town. They might be out of order, but you'll get the point.**

 **Thanks for reading!:)**


	4. New Faces

Despite Sodapop wanting Laura and Ponyboy to stay at the house until he got back, they decided to go back to Ruth's house, as Cole was starting to get fussy.

"Are you sure?" Two-Bit asked, following them to the front door. "We can put him in the other room."

"I really wish we could, but he sleeps best in his crib," Ponyboy explained apologetically. He bounced a fussy Cole on his hip. "We'll come back for dinner, though."

Two-Bit looked disappointed but nodded anyways. "That works."

Laura gave Two-Bit a hug.

"Cole really likes you," Laura smiled as she stepped back. "So we're definitely coming back."

"It's nice to see you," Two-Bit admitted as he leaned on the doorframe. Ponyboy was now putting Cole into his car seat.

"It's nice to see you too," Laura grinned.

Laura got into the car, and Two-Bit watched them drive away from the house.

* * *

" _Hey, Laura!"_

 _Laura looked up from her book to see Ponyboy jogging over towards her, plopping his backpack onto the ground._

" _Laura, so my mom invited a lady and her kids over for dinner, and Soda and I are allowed to bring a friend!" Ponyboy explained rapidly. "Wanna come?"_

 _Laura looked troubled. "I don't know… Mom's been really sad after Philip went back to Dad's house."_

" _Pleeeease!" Ponyboy begged, sitting next to her. "All you have to do is eat dinner. After that, we can go down to the park!"_

 _Laura sighed. "Fine. But you owe me."_

" _Thanks!" Ponyboy beamed. "Meet me at the park at six o'clock, okay?"_

 _Ponyboy took off out of the library, leaving Laura wondering what her best friend was getting her into._

 _True to her word. Laura met Ponyboy at the park at six o'clock._

" _Thank's again for coming!" Ponyboy grinned gratefully. "I was gonna ask Johnny, but he's at his grandma's house."_

" _Do you even know the people coming over?" Laura asked him curiously._

" _Nope," Ponyboy answered. "I think the lady's a single mom, though. She moved in a couple blocks down with her two kids."_

" _I hope they're nice," Laura nervously said._

" _Trust me, Laur, nobody is as mean as Steve," Ponyboy assured her, making her laugh._

" _You're probably right," Laura grinned._

 _When they reached the Curtis house, another car was pulled up in front of it. Ponyboy led Laura up the steps to the house that Laura was very familiar with by now._

 _When they entered the house, the first thing they saw was Soda and Steve wrestling in front of the TV, while a very annoyed Darry tried to actually watch the screen. Not wanting to start anything, Ponyboy grabbed Laura's wrist, dragging her into the kitchen._

 _Mrs. Curtis stood next to the stove stirring a pot of sauce, while a woman sat at the table flanked with a boy who looked around sixteen and a girl that looked ten._

" _Laura!" Mrs. Curtis smiled, giving the young girl a hug. "It's great to see you, love!"_

" _Thank's for having me," Laura responded with a blush._

" _Laura, Ponyboy, this is Ms. Matthews and her kids, Keith and Susan," Mrs. Curtis introduced the people at the table._

 _Ponyboy and Laura waved awkwardly. Susan seemed uninterested, but Keith gave them a grin. Laura wondered why he wasn't messing around with Soda and Steve._

 _The family ate dinner when Mr. Curtis came home, which was basically Soda and Steve playing with their food, Darry and Mr. Curtis telling them to knock it off, Mrs. Curtis asking Ms. Matthew's questions, and Ponyboy and Laura whispering about the book they were reading in class._

" _Thank you for dinner," Laura thanked Mrs. Curtis, just like her mother had taught her._

" _You're welcome, darling," Mrs. Curtis smiled kindly. Laura loved Mr. and Mrs. Curtis. Unlike her mother these days, they were kind and cared about her well-being._

 _Soon, everybody was hanging out in the living room. Well, except for Soda and Steve, who had shut themselves in Soda's room._

" _Ponyboy," Laura whispered to her friend, who turned to look at her. "I should go."_

" _Laura, dear, is Phillip coming to pick you up?" Mrs. Curtis asked, overhearing what Laura said to Ponyboy._

 _Laura's face dropped. "No ma'am, he went back to our dad's house last week."  
_ " _Darrell, do you mind driving Laura home?" Mrs. Curtis asked her husband._

" _I can walk her," Keith piped up. "I don't mind."_

" _Are you sure?" Mrs. Curtis asked. "I would be very grateful."_

 _Keith stood up. "No problem. I'll be right back."_

" _Mom, can I go with them?" Ponyboy asked. Laura hopped Mrs. Curtis would say yes, as she didn't want to walk with Keith alone._

 _Mrs. Curtis sighed. "Alright, Pony, but make sure Keith stays with you the entire time."_

 _Ponyboy said thank you before following Keith and I out the door._

" _How old are you two?" Keith asked when they were by themselves._

" _We're twelve," Ponyboy said, a bit embarrassed by his age._

 _Keith just nodded. "Cool. Susan's only ten, but she's really mean, I've gotta say. You guys look a lot nicer than her."_

" _Phillip was mean when he was ten," Laura said of her older brother._

" _But you were only five," Ponyboy laughed, nudging her. "You don't remember exactly."_

" _I'm sixteen," Keith shared._

" _You'll probably be over a lot," Ponyboy predicted. "Mom seems to like your family a lot."_

" _Your mom likes everyone!" Laura giggled. "Even you, surprisingly."  
_ " _Hey!" Ponyboy narrowed his eyes, but they both knew Laura was only playing._

 _Soon, they had reached Laura's house._

" _Bye, Laura!" Ponyboy waved as Laura skipped up the steps. "See you at school!"_

* * *

Just like Ponyboy predicted, they saw a lot more of Two-Bit, and he was greatly affected when Mr. and Mrs. Curtis died.

Laura just hoped this trip wasn't the last time they saw Two-Bit Matthews.

When they got back to Ruth's house, Cole was ready for his nap. Ruth served them brownies after they put Cole to bed.

"How was it?" Ruth asked the couple.

"Well, we didn't see everyone. We got there right when Sodapop and Steve were leaving for work, so we just hung out with Two-Bit for the day." Ponyboy informed Ruth.

Ruth nodded. "Are you going over for dinner?"

"Yes," Laura confirmed.

"And is Cole going with you?" Ruth raised her eyebrows.

Laura sighed. "Mom, you can't just spoil him!"

"Well, I'm sorry that I want to spend time with my grandson, who, by the way, I didn't know existed until _yesterday!"_ Ruth scowled.

Laura closed her mouth, guilt on her and Pony's faces.

"I'm sorry… " Ruth shook her head, clearly still upset. "I… Phillip hasn't visited since you were twelve and I just hoped you would be around more."

"Mom…" Laura sighed, sharing a look with Ponyboy. "He can stay here."

Ruth's face brightened. "Really?"

"Yeah, Mom. Get to know your grandchild. Everyone at dinner will have seen him anyways, and we'll take him over to their house tomorrow," Laura compromised.

"Cole really wants his grandma to take him for ice cream," Ponyboy added with a smile.

Ruth rushed upstairs to put on different clothes, beaming at the thought of being trusted with her grandchild.

"Wow," Laura said as her mother disappeared.

"She's right," Ponyboy admitted. "We need to let her spend more time with Cole."

Laura nodded. "We do. And we will."

* * *

 **Sorry about the long wait! Let me know what you think! Cheerio!**


End file.
